Effects of Varying Visual Display Characteristics of the T-4G, A T-37 Flight Simulator

Two experiments were conducted using the T-4G, a T-37 flight simulator, to investigate the benefit to simulation of visual displays which have color or are collimated. Thirty-two Air Force undergraduate pilots learned approach and landing in the T-4G using either black and white or colored imagery. Thirty-eight instructor pilots performed approach and landing with visual displays that had collimation or reduced collimation. No statistically significant differences were found in either experiment. Power analysis shows that each of these experiments would have detected a practically significant difference, if one existed, with a probability of more than .75. There are no psychophysical reasons to use either color or collimation. User acceptance is another thing, and if color and collimation improve acceptance, they should be used.